Abbott’s judgement varies year to year

In defence of his leader’s written endorsement of Peter Slipper’s 2007 preselection battle for his seat of Fisher, Christopher Pyne has argued that “Tony Abbott has always been famously generous with his colleagues and friends. It does not surprise me at all that he would write a reference of that nature”. (Sky News, April 29)

While believing Slipper to be the best person to represent the Liberal Party in 2007, Abbott is now arguing that he was trying to manoeuvre Slipper out of Parliament and that Julia Gillard’s decision to appoint Slipper as Speaker of the Lower House demonstrated a lack of judgement on her part.

Given that John Howard’s office was aware of Slipper’s questionable behaviour as early as at least 2003, when a certain videotape was provided to a senior member of Howard’s staff, how is it that Abbott is now questioning Gillard’s judgement? It would seem that Abbott was all too willing to support Slipper in return for Slipper’s support of his leadership, however, once he was no longer of any value, Abbott is prepared to denigrate his former “colleague and friend”, as it is in his interest to do so.

Rather makes one think that J. T. Lang has been proved right yet again: “In the race of human life always back self- interest ’cause you know you’re on a goer.” Given Pyne’s view that references from Abbott are “famously generous”, are they not really worth the paper that they are written on?

But then how can that be, when Abbott has previously said that you can only rely on him for certain when he has written something down?